Downton Cuckoo Fair cancelled

Organisers of the event, which attracts tens of thousands of people, have chosen to follow government guidance over coronavirus.

NOW CANCELLED: Downton Cuckoo Fair, Saturday 2nd May 2020

The Downton Cuckoo Fair is another local event to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It's regarded as the 'largest event in Wiltshire' and attracts an average of 20,000 visitors to the village on fair day.

The team which organise the event have chosen to follow guidance from the UK Government, via the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England.

That advice warns against large gatherings of people, and strongly encourages 'social distancing'.

COVID-19 RISK: An average of 20,000 people usually visit the Downton Cuckoo Fair.

CANCELLATION NO SURPRISE

In a statement Cuckoo Fair organisers have said:

"We are so sorry to have to announce that the Downton Cuckoo Fair 2020 will have to be cancelled."

"We're sure this will come as no surprise, in the light of the new government measures announced recently regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), but this was not a course of action we hoped to take. In times of such unprecedented uncertainty this is now our only viable option."

"We can assure you that we have not taken this decision lightly. We have two NHS paramedics on our committee, so we have probably been more informed and up to speed in relation to guidance on this pandemic than most. We would like to thank them for the time they have contributed to the organisation of Fair this year, in such difficult and extraordinary circumstances and wish them and their colleagues well in all the work they have yet to come in their day jobs."

WE'RE SORRY!

The organisers have extended sincere apologies to the people who have already made arrangements to attend the Fair, and said they wanted to make a firm decision with as much notice as possible.

MAJOR BLOW TO THE AREA

The cancellation of this year's Fair will come as a terrible blow to all those local organisations, groups and societies for whom the Fair is the single biggest fundraising opportunity of the year.

Organisers expect there will inevitably be 'severe financial implications' as a result of the cancellation, not just for them, but also the Fair's contractors, traders, local landowners and our village community.